


Abby and Abbott

by Annie_Eliza



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Burlesque, Cancer, Dogs, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mentions of Cancer, Multi, Neighbors, Older Characters, Pets, Threesome - F/F/M, threesome mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-12 04:05:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3343037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annie_Eliza/pseuds/Annie_Eliza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite what others might assume, Brian Kinney actually likes his neighbor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was first inspired by an idea I had for a fic from Brian's neighbor's point of view during various parts in the series. That still may happen but the idea of Evie Abbott came up instead. This will be about three chapters.
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=29dg3eo)  
> 

There are some people who think that Brian is not a friendly man and that he would never consider being fond of a neighbor. Don’t get him wrong, he didn’t hang out with Ms. Abbott. She is an elderly lady from England and they have nothing in common. He knows the basics on her history. He knows she never married or had children. As far as he knows, she doesn’t have any family living in the country. She might not have any family left at all. He knows that, for an old woman, she didn’t bat an eye at his lifestyle. She had to know about it, living so close to Liberty Avenue and seeing the hundreds of men he had brought home pass by her door over the years. She mostly left him alone and greeted him when he saw her at the mailboxes and that was the way he liked it. In Brian’s opinion, she was the perfect neighbor.

 

That’s not to say he never took up a conversation with her. There had been a few times when they had actually connected. She baked him cookies for Christmas every year. He usually ended up taking those to Debbie’s because they were too good to keep at the loft. He did not need sweet and tempting carbs around. 

 

She had also witnessed him at a low point after a round of radiation. She had seen him bending over in pain out in the hallway and invited him in for hot tea. He was going to say no but he had always been a little curious about how the loft below his looked like and why an old woman like Ms. Abbott would want to live in a high end city loft. Before he went in, he imagined it would have conservative grandma-esque touches. He was surprised by the lacy scarlett curtains, flat screen television, and French furniture. She made him sit down as she hobbled over to get a pan and filled the kettle. 

 

“Would you like anything to eat, dear? I’ve got scones and leftover soup.”

 

“I’m fine,” Brian grunted out. 

 

As he put his head between his legs, a light blonde dog with piercing blue eyes came over to sniff his face. Brian sat up and looked at it.

 

“Oh, don’t be afraid of Abby. She’s quite sweet,” Ms. Abbott assured him as she put two mugs down on the coffee table.

 

“I didn’t know you had a dog,” Brian remarked. He didn’t hate animals, per say. But he hadn’t grown up with any pets. He remembered begging his parents for a dog when he was six and his dad had called him an ungrateful little shit.

 

“I just got this one from the shelter on Hamilton. She’s about eight. I’m too old to keep up with a puppy but once she got comfortable here she showed me how much energy she still had. I love dogs but I haven’t had one for a long time. I guess I finally feel settled down enough for one now that I got my wild youth out of my system.”

 

Brian raised an eyebrow and Ms. Abbott took in his expression and laughed.

 

“Oh you don’t believe me? You think just because I’m 87 that I never had a life?”

 

“I didn’t say that,” Brian smirked.

 

“Good. Because I have some stories that would shock you.”

 

Brian laughed at that. And here he thought she was onto his promiscuity. 

 

“You think that just because I don’t have men over every night now like you do means that I didn’t live in such a way before? Back in my prime, I was the epitome of sex, dear. I was the best burlesque dancer in London and New York before buying out the New York club when I was 30. I ended up moving here to open the club that’s down on Butler Street. I ran both of them and finally retired with a sizeable fortune under my belt. I passed each of the clubs onto seasoned dancers about 14 years ago. I still own some stock in them. But before that I had one night stands with over half of the men who walked through the club doors and slept with almost every woman I hired. Once I had an affair with a conservative married couple without either of them knowing that the other was involved with me. Oh, I miss those days sometimes.”

 

And that’s when he found out that Evie Abbott was more of a sex fiend than he was.

 

To be fair, she was equally attracted to both sexes thus had more people to pick from. And going by a few pictures she had shown him in her album, she had been pretty hot. For a woman anyway.

 

Even though he is in pain, he ends up talking to her for more than an hour. He even pet her dog a few times and threw her tennis ball for her once before he realized that the movement made him feel sick. Abby had been disappointed but she got over it quickly enough.

 

Eventually, he carefully got up to go upstairs. Evie walked him to the door. He told her to have a good afternoon but before he took more than a couple of steps Evie spoke up. 

 

“I know the signs of radiation sickness when I see it. I had ovarian cancer 25 years ago. They caught it early but I had to go through chemo and radiation. It helps to take it easy, even though you don’t want to. It also helps to let someone you love and who loves you back take care of you. Don’t think I didn’t hear your little argument with that blonde boy last night.”

 

“Yeah well, I pushed him away. But I’m a big boy, Evie. I’ll be fine.”

 

“I don’t think you did as good of a job as you think. He seems persistent. I tried to push my lovers away when I got sick but George and Vera stayed by my side. Oh, I miss them sometimes. I finally felt content with them. It’s hard being the only survivor of the rock climbing tragedy that took the loves of my life away.”

 

As much as Brian wanted to ask questions about the tragic absurdity that just came out of her mouth, he really was feeling sick.

 

“Sorry about your ménage a trois,” Brian uncertainly consoled her as he started to go up the stairs.

 

“It’s alright. It’s been years. Go now and rest,” she gently said. Then she hobbled back into her apartment and closed the door.

 

She had been right about Justin not giving up so easily but Brian is pretty sure that’s because she saw him come in earlier. He wasn’t going to just give into the old woman’s advice though. He had fought tooth and nail with Justin when he saw him standing over the stove. But Justin had been unyielding. So he gave in, went to lie down, and ate some chicken soup when Justin brought it to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian goes up to New York to see Justin.
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://tinypic.com?ref=29dg3eo)  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. i started working on my WIPs and sort of put off this one. But here it is. The next chapter should be up soon.

“Thank you for doing walking Abby, Brian. It must have been such a sight to watch a man in an Armani suit walk a mutt.”

 

Brian looks down at the dog, who is panting with happiness.

 

“Her mixed breed status works for her. She’s gorgeous and no other dog looks quite like her,” Brian tells Evie as he squats down to pet the dog. 

 

He glances up to find Evie looking down at him with something twinkling in her eye. He’s known her since he moved into the loft when he was 25 and has grown closer to her ever since that fateful day she invited him in and told him about her life four years ago. They had grown even closer in the last three years since Justin moved to New York and he really did care about her. She managed to make him pull his head out of his ass when he tried to let Justin go completely. He remembered her words quite fondly.

 

_”Stop being such a little shit. I’ve seen you bringing home trick after trick for years and you never got attached to any of them. You fell hard for that boy. I know you did because I still have the wedding invitation. So don’t let him go just because you think he deserves better and that you don’t deserve to be happy. Now go up to New York so you can see your lover and fuck the living daylights out of him._

 

Not a lot leaves him flabbergasted, but having a proper looking, English sounding 89 year old woman telling him to basically stick his cock in Justin’s ass had left him stammering.

 

 _”Uh wha- wha uh,”_ Evie had mocked him, _“Cat got your tongue? Well, get over it. Airline tickets are best to buy in the middle of the week so go on. Get out of my loft, go upstairs to your computer, and get your first class tickets so you can spend a week with your lover. Hell, spend two!_

 

He had a lot to thank Evie for. After that odd conversation, he had actually done what she told him and went to see Justin. They had a lot to talk about but Justin made him realize that he really did love Brian and wanted to work this out. So, even though Justin is still up in New York and Brian is still down in Pittsburgh, they are as happy as anyone could be in their long distance situation. Brian has been lucky regarding money and having an open-minded partner so he goes up to New York once a month and Justin comes down to Pittsburgh the same amount of times. 

 

“When are you going to see Justin?” Evie asks him as he lets Abby off the leash so she can run to her water bowl. 

 

“Tomorrow. Are you sure you are going to be alright?”

 

“Of course, dear, why wouldn’t I be alright?”

 

“Evie, you know why. I don’t like how many times you have been sick in the last few months and you’ve had two strokes in the last two years.”

 

“Brian, I am 91 years old. It’s to be expected.”

 

“I’m having Debbie come in to check on you at least once a day while I’m gone. I’m letting her borrow my copy of your key while I’m gone in case there is an emergency. She can walk Abby too.”

 

“I’ll be fine, dear. I’m an old lady who lives with her old lady dog. I have a wonderful and kind neighbor. I’m happy with my life. You know, if I ever had the patience for children, I would have loved to have had a son just like you. So handsome and successful. I would have been very proud. Of course, I would have passed you off to someone as much as possible so I could actually live and not be tied down to a little boy but I would have thought of you fondly in between orgies.”

 

“Someone’s reminiscing again.”

 

Evie shrugs and turns on the television.

 

“My story is about to come on and your lunch break is almost over. You are going to be needing to head back to work soon.”

 

“Fine. In case I don’t see you, have a good week. Do you have any places to recommend to Justin and me while I’m up there?”

 

Evie thinks for a second and nods. “I do, as a matter of fact. There is a brick building painted black on Cherry and Clinton on the Lower East Side. You take a lift elevator down and it brings you into the largest underground sex club on the East Coast. There are tunnels and everything. It’s quite exciting. You have to use a specific knock,” Evie pauses to knock a certain rhythm, “And they’ll let you in. Tell them that Evie Abbott sent you.

 

“Are you fucking with me?”

 

“Just a little bit. They tore down that place years ago to expand the train system, so you’re shit out of luck. It’s a pity. It was practically a monument and it was kept a secret. So many people of all different orientations met down there for a good time.”

 

“Alright, Evie. Go watch Days of Our Lives. I won’t be back until late but I will take Abby out in the morning and see you when I get back.”

 

“Have fun, dear.”

 

Evie waves him off and Brian heads back to work. When he gets home, he gets his stuff packed and calls Justin so they can have phone sex before he goes to bed. The orgasm he has lets him fall asleep more quickly and he doesn’t wake up once through the night. He wakes up early that morning to take Abby outside. He lets himself in so he doesn’t have to wake up Evie and gets the dog on her leash. Abby wags her full curly tail and leaps around in front of the door to the building in excitement for her walk. He walks her a few blocks, picks up her shit which isn’t pleasant but it is what it is, and comes back to let her inside. He makes sure she has food and water and goes in to check on Evie. She’s sleeping so he doesn’t wake her. Then he’s going up the stairs to get his bag. The cab comes on time and he’s anxiously on the plane waiting to see his Sunshine. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Brian.”

 

Brian exhales from his cigarette and turns his head to look at his lover. They had just finished their third round of fucking in the past two hours. He didn’t think Justin was ready for round number four. Brian still has a lot of stamina despite being in his late thirties but he didn’t think he could get it up quite yet so he tells Justin just that.

 

“If you are wanting me to fuck you again-”

 

“No, I mean yes. But I’m more patient than most young men my age. I can wait while someone more…advanced, such as yourself, recovers.”

 

“Hardy har har. What do you need, Sunshine?”

 

“I need to come home. Back to you.”

 

Brian doesn’t answer as he takes another hit off of his cigarette. 

 

“Brian, say something.”

 

“What’s there to say? We’ve talked about this.”

 

“Yeah, when I was homesick and lonely. And fuck, that feeling never completely left. But I distracted myself by making a name here. I know I’m not as rich as you are but I have a nice apartment to myself and can pay the bills-”

 

“It doesn’t matter if you are as rich as me. You know that money isn’t something I am concerned about.”

 

“Then why the fuck do you want me to stay here?!”

 

“Because you deserve more than Pittsburgh!”

 

“But I don’t deserve to make the choice myself or be with the man I love?”

 

Brian stays silent at that.

 

“I talked to my agent. She says that I can ship the paintings to her and that I can work from home. I’ll have to come up to New York a few times a year but that isn’t a hassle. I want this, Brian. I can be a success from Pittsburgh. Evie moved from New York to Pittsburgh. She never regretted it and succeeded in her career.”

 

“Evie was a glorified stripper.”

 

“She became a business woman in a time where women running businesses was looked down upon. I beg to differ anyway. Burlesque is a form of art and has a lot of historical significance. We went to her old club last year. Remember how classy it was?”

 

“Too many tits for my liking.”

 

“My point is that she never regretted it. She went to Pittsburgh so George could be closer to his father and she and Vera opened the club there. She made it in Pittsburgh and she never left, even after George and Vera passed away.”

 

Brian lets out a sigh. 

 

“You really want to do this? You really want to come back to the Pitts, just to be with me?”

 

“I think that is an incredibly good reason. Don’t downplay it.”

 

Brian finds himself blinking back moisture in his eyes. He hadn’t expected Justin moving back to actually happen. He daydreamed about it sometimes but whenever Justin brought it up in the past, he told him to stop being an idiot. Maybe Brian was the idiot here. Before Justin can catch him having an emotional moment, he brings Justin in for a kiss. It’s sweet, intense, and Brian puts all the love he has within himself in it. Neither one of them want to break the kiss but they both do need air so they stroke each other’s faces and keep their foreheads pressed against each other. 

 

“I was thinking of maybe opening a gallery. I might not be quite as rich as you are but I have a good bit of money saved up.”

 

“Good idea. It’ll give Sydney some competition.”

 

“I could focus on contemporary art and local artists maybe.”

 

“You’ll do fantastic, like you always do.”

 

“I love you, Brian.”

 

“You too, Sunshine, you too.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

They do leave the apartment to do other things other than fuck. They see a show, go out to eat, go to a club, walk through Central Park. But a lot of it is spent packing up all of Justin’s shit. They are lucky to get everything arranged on such short notice. Justin’s landlord happens to be walking by the building, sees them carrying boxes down to the truck, and freaks out, thinking that Justin is leaving without notice. Justin goes over to tell him that he fully intends to pay rent for the next couple of months and Brian gets the man to settle down by writing him a check to cover at least three months. He changes his demeanor completely by giving Justin a big smile, asking if Brian was “the boyfriend,” and wishing Justin luck in Pittsburgh.

 

They decide to make Justin’s homecoming a surprise. They leave at 6 in the morning a day before Brian is due back and drive the truck down to Pittsburgh. The ride is actually nice. He and Justin just talk. They talk non-stop about nothing and everything. He’s never been much of a talker but, even though he and Justin had seen each other frequently despite living in separate states, it was as though they were making up for all that lost time. Brian has never felt so happy and in love getting shitty food at rest stops and just being with Justin, knowing that he was coming home for good to be with him. 

 

They make good time despite stopping for breakfast and get back to Pittsburgh at 12:30. Brian pulls up to his block to find a space big enough for the truck so they can unpack the necessities before the rest goes into storage. However, he forgets about it when he sees an ambulance outside of his building.

 

“Brian…do you think-”

 

“I don’t know. I need to go check.”

 

“Go on. I’ll pull the truck over somewhere.”

 

Brian hops out of the truck and barely registers Justin getting in and driving down the street. He walks over to the entrance and hears Abby’s panicked barking, which is odd because that dog loves everyone she meets and barely barks at all.

 

“Abby, come here, sweetheart!” he hears Debbie tearfully call out from the Evie’s door. When he hears that, he knows what he’s in for. 

 

“Debbie?”

 

“Oh…Brian,” Debbie says to him sympathetically.

 

“Is she-” Brian starts out but has to clear the lump in his throat. Debbie gets the hint and nods.

 

“I came to see her last night and she seemed tired but fine. I came to check on her about twenty minutes ago and there was no answer when I knocked. I thought that she could be out doing errands but Abby was barking non-stop and it sounded like she was panicking. It gave me a bad feeling so I let myself in. Abby took me to Evie’s bed and I found her there. The coroner said that she probably passed in her sleep and didn’t feel any pain. I know she was 91, but that woman was so filled with life. I know how much you cared for her. I am so sorry, Brian.”

 

Brian nods at her explanation and walks over to where the coroner is transferring her body into the bag. 

 

“Debbie, where’s Brian? What’s going on?”

 

“Sunshine! What are you doing here?”

 

“I’m coming back. It’s supposed to be a surprise. Is Evie okay?”

 

“No, Justin. She passed in her sleep last night. I’m sorry, baby.”

 

Brian can hear Justin sniffling behind him. Brian probably connected with Evie more and knew her a lot longer but he knew Justin loved having her as a neighbor as well. Even before Brian found out about her past, Justin had always been offering to do things for her. After Brian told him what he had been told about her life, Justin had taken to visiting her pretty often to hear stories before he left for New York. But Justin knows how much Brian appreciated having Evie in his life so he isn’t surprised when Justin comes up and puts his hand on his shoulder as they carry Evie away.

 

“Do you know who her next of kin or emergency contact is?” the coroner asks him.

 

Brian brings himself out of his numbness to answer.

 

“I’m her emergency contact. She doesn’t have any close family.”

 

The coroner nods and says, “Alright. The first step would be to sign this stating you are aware that her body is being held at Alleghany General’s morgue. It can be held until arrangements are made for burial or cremation. If she hasn’t left her preferences with you, I would check with the bank and the court house to see if she has a safety deposit box with a will and any instructions in regards to her death. After her burial, a lot of paperwork will need to be done to declare her legally deceased but the funeral home can go over that with you. I am very sorry for your loss. Do you need me to call someone to get her dog?”

 

“She can stay with us,” Brian surprises himself as well as Justin and Debbie by saying, “She’s upset and doesn’t need to be put in some shelter when she’s just lost her owner.”

 

The coroner nods, “You can come claim the body and have a funeral home come pick it up when you make arrangements.”

 

The coroner leaves Evie’s apartment and Brian, Justin, and Debbie are left alone. The only sound being made is Abby’s whimpering and crying at the closed door. Brian goes over to sit on the floor with her. He pets her and rubs her back in an attempt to calm her down but all Abby does is bump his shoulder with her nose, look at the door, then head butt him as though she is trying to get him to understand that they need to go get Evie. Brian brings her over so her front paws are in his lap and says, “Sorry, girl. I’m sorry.” He knows that it isn’t like him to comfort a dog or, let alone sit on the floor with her, but he’s been walking her several times a week for the last two years so he’s allowed to drop the Kinney persona and be fond of the mutt.

 

“I called off after I called the coroner. Carl is almost here since he was going to help me out. I’m going to go wait for him outside. Can either of us do anything at all?

 

“No. I’ll call her lawyer in a bit so he can let me know what her preferences were. Thank you, Debbie,” He sincerely tells her. 

 

After she goes outside to wait for Carl, Justin comes over to squat down and look at Brian.

 

“Brian, why don’t you take Abby outside to see if she’ll go to the bathroom then head upstairs with her? I’ll get her food, some of her toys, and her bed.”

 

Brian nods, then gets up to grab her leash and the doggie bags then hooks her up. Abby immediately starts pulling, sniffing around, and barking. He knows she’s looking for Evie and he knows that she knows something is terribly wrong. He distracts himself from his own grief by worrying over her losing the owner she has had for the last four years. Her bodily functions manage to become too important and she does her thing. Brian is relieved about that because, even though she would probably deserve a pass for acting out, he did not want to clean shit off of his polished hardwood floors.

 

He goes upstairs and finds Justin filling up her food dish. Justin glances over and gives him a sympathetic look. He decides to ignore it. He lets Abby off of her leash and watches her as he sits on the couch. She is absolutely restless, pacing back and forth, whining at the door and going over towards Brian to get him to pay attention. She's huffing out breaths and stomping her feet as if to say, “Come on! Let’s go! I know something is up so don’t undermine me and do as I say!” But Brian is a person and Abby is a dog so he’s not going to give in. She needs to learn to accept it. Brian looks down on the floor by the couch and sees where Justin put her toys down. He picks up a tennis ball and says, “Abby, wanna play ball?”

 

Usually that has her flipping her shit. This time, however, all Abby does is lie down in front of the door and quietly whine.

 

Brian can tell Justin is concerned and watches his lover go over to Abby to pet her behind her ears.

 

“Poor baby. You know something is wrong, don’t you, girl?”

 

Abby whines in response but she does get up and walk over to Brian. She puts her head in his lap and stares up at him with her sad blue eyes. 

 

“I can’t do anything for you. Sorry.”

 

“Just pet her, Brian.”

 

“She’s still going to be upset, Justin.”

 

But he obliges. He scratches her behind the ears and ruffles her fur. She starts to lean closer and closer. When he notices that she is trying to sneak up on the couch and into his lap, he stops the pity he’s giving her.

 

“Abby, stop right there. Let me explain something to you. This right here,” he informs her as he pats the couch, “is an Italian leather sofa. It is at least five times more expensive than all of your vet bills combined. And I remember that time you swallowed a washcloth and had to be cut open to get it out, don’t think that I don’t. I remember how expensive that was. Good lord, driving you and Evie to the vet was a nightmare. Not one of your best moments, was it? And these clothes I’m wearing? These are from Armani. It might not be one of their suits but I don’t want you wrinkling this shirt and I sure as hell don’t want dog hair on it, even though it is inevitably going to happen anyway. Now I am willing to shell out extra cash to get you the best dog bed in the world but don’t get up on my couch.”

 

Both of Abby’s oversized ears stand up as she tilts her head in confusion at Brian’s words. Brian doesn’t worry too much. She’ll learn.

 

“So we’re keeping her?” He hears Justin ask.

 

He looks over and sees Justin standing there, all hopeful at the thought of Abby living at the loft. Brian lets out sigh. He likes Abby. She’s the first dog he ever got to know and she’s incredibly sweet. He sort of thought of her as his honorary dog. One who he could pet and walk without actually having to care for too much. Although, he had helped Evie more and more with taking care of her after she had her first stroke. He knew how much of a companion Abby was to her. He didn’t want Evie to have to give her up. Abby was a great help to her at times and probably saved her life before. She had gone into Lassie mode during both of Evie’s strokes and had informed Brian through her barking that something was wrong. He’d give her canine senses some props. 

 

But he never really thought about what would happen to her if Evie died. Not that he never thought of the possibility. She was 91, after all. But he had thought about how much it would upset him whenever she died and never really thought about having to sort through her possessions or having to figure out a home for her dog. He didn’t know of anyone else who would do it. Some of the women she had mentored back in the day came to see her once in a while. Vera’s son, a result of a teenage one night stand long before George and Evie came along, visited on holidays but he was in his seventies and not doing that well anymore. But it had been Brian whom she had made her I.C.E. She also told him who her lawyer was and any other important medical and legal information about herself. 

 

“Brian? Did you hear me? Are we keeping Abby at the loft?”

 

Brian rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the dog where she still has her head resting on his lap.

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t really plan on keeping her.”

 

Justin nods his head, disappointed. 

 

“Alright. Do you want me to see if we can find someone to take her in?”

 

“The only people I know of who would be interested would be Linds and Mel, but it would be a bitch getting all of the papers settled to move a dog out of the country. Besides, I think they are wanting a puppy for Gus and JR. Abby is twelve. She’s healthy and active but even then she probably only has a few years left in her at best. The only no kill shelter that would take her would be the one she came from. She’s really pretty but she’s still a senior dog so it will be hard for her to be adopted out.”

 

Justin waits for Brian to go on. Abby seems to be waiting too. There’s really no question about the answer.

 

“I don’t see any other option but to keep her here with us. She knows me better than she knows anyone else alive. So, unless Evie put Abby in her will and left her to someone else who wants her, I think she should stay here.”

 

Justin looks relieved and nods in agreement.

 

“Me too, Brian. In this situation, I don’t think she would want to be anywhere else.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and review! If you noticed the new banner, I would like to name the person I am using as a younger version of Evie Abbott. Her name is Gypsy Lee Rose and she was a Burlesque star back in the 1930s. As for the dog, I totally went meta and used my dog for this story, also named Abby and also 12 years old. And, like the Abby in this story, she is the nicest dog you will ever meet. Unlike the story's Abby, she never swallowed a washcloth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brian plans Evie's funeral and sets up a few surprises along the way.

“So she left Brian in charge of all the arrangements?”

 

Justin nods at Debbie’s question. He doesn’t know why she’s so surprised. He had been living in New York and even he knew that Brian had been taking care of Evie. And, in all honesty, he hadn’t been that surprised by that. Justin knew they were very fond of each other. He thought the rest of the family knew too. Debbie should have at least, considering Brian had her check on Evie every time he went out of town. 

 

“I know they have gotten along really well in the last couple of years, but do you think he’s the type of-“

 

“You don’t think Brian is capable of arranging her funeral and wake? He did for his father and you know how their relationship was. Why wouldn’t he do it for Evie?”

 

Debbie holds up her hands in surrender and says, “You’re right. Forget I questioned it. He is completely capable.”

 

Justin finds himself glaring a little anyway but then sighs and looks at his phone.

 

“I told Brian I would be back at the loft by the time he got back from meeting with the funeral director and Evie’s lawyer. I would have gone with him but…” Justin trails off as he looks at Abby, who is lying down by his feet.

 

“She perking up a little more?”

 

“A little. She’s really attached to Brian. I never thought I’d see him spoiling a dog and putting a pet as a main priority but he’s never been one to be predictable.” 

 

“I’ll give you that. I think she’ll be good for him.”

 

“Yeah, I think so too. She still seems a little down though. I would have gone with him today but he doesn’t want to leave her alone too much yet. She’ll be by herself for the funeral and the wake so that’ll be hard enough until she settles in.”

 

“My house is still up for grabs if you want to have the wake here.”

 

Justin shakes his head, “He already made plans to have it somewhere else. I’ll let him tell you about it.”

 

Justin bends down and hooks Abby up on her leash.

 

“Come on, Abby. Let’s go.”

 

Abby gets up and walks alongside Justin out the door.

 

It’s a bit of a walk to the loft but Abby enjoys it since her curly tail perks up and wags as they stroll past the houses and people out and about. 

 

She always gets compliments. He can see why Brian didn’t mind taking her for a walk so close to Liberty Avenue. So many good looking men coo over his dog and then slip their numbers in his back pocket. Brian probably gets as much of a kick out of it as Justin does. How ironic that a furry woman would get them even more attention.

 

Justin unlocks the main door and Abby immediately goes and sniffs in front of Evie’s door. He lets out a sigh. She’s been a little less depressed. They’ve given her the extra attention the past two days. They went and got her a nice bed, took her on long walks, took her to the dog park. Justin even woke up in the middle of the night last night and found Brian on the couch with Abby. He had nodded off and Abby must have gotten up there on her own to put her head in Brian’s lap. Justin may have taken a picture but he won’t show it to Brian until everything settles down.

 

“Come on, girl. Upstairs,” Justin tells her as he gently pulls on the leash. Abby takes the lead and walks upstairs to the loft and they find Brian sitting at his desk.

 

“Hey. How did it go?” Justin asks as he unhooks Abby and goes to lean against the desk.

 

Brian looks up and shrugs, “As well as it could go. Talked to her lawyer to find out what her preferences were. She wanted to be cremated and have her ashes spread at some lake in Somerset County. It’s just a little over an hour away so it’s won’t be too bad. I got a hold of Henry and told him that the funeral and wake are set for this coming Tuesday. He’ll be in tomorrow.”

 

“I thought you said that his health hasn’t been that great.”

 

Brian shrugged, “He’s Vera’s son and he liked Evie a lot. He said his wife and daughter are in better shape so they’ll keep an eye on him.”

 

Justin nods, “Anything else?”

 

“She wants people to celebrate her death by boozing, drugging, and fucking.”

 

“She did not say that. I know she’s full of surprises and could swear like a sailor but-”

 

Brian raises an eyebrow then tosses a paper in his direction. Justin picks it up.

 

“Is this her will?”

 

“Uh huh.”

 

“Oh shit, she does say that. No wonder you want to have her wake at Babylon.”

 

Brian grins and says, “Yeah, Debbie is going to shit herself. Imagine what she’ll say: ‘Brian, that is no place to respect the dead. What are you thinking?’”

 

“’I think you should be more respectful, Brian!”’ Justin goes on, imitating Debbie’s voice. 

 

Justin goes on to read who Evie left her belongings to. She left her VERY significant savings to be split between Henry and his wife and daughter. She left her stock and ownership percentage of the burlesque clubs in New York and Pittsburgh to longtime managers. She left Abby to Brian, which makes Justin laugh. It’s only been a couple of days, but he doesn’t think it would sit well with Brian if he found out Evie left her to someone else. She even made the initiative to get the okay from the shelter and get her ownership papers in order, which he assumes Brian has by now. He’s surprised that she left a few memorabilia items to Debbie and Emmett, but he does know that Brian did ask those two several times to check in on her and he does know Emmett talked to her frequently after finding out who she was. And she left the loft to-

 

“She’s giving both of us the loft?” Justin asks, shocked.

 

“Yeah,” Brian says as he looks down and rubs the back of his neck, “I was surprised at first but I remember her saying last year that she thought our lofts would make nice studio spaces. If she had known you were on your way back so soon, she probably would have left it just to you.”

 

“I uh-wow, that’s…” Justin starts to say but trails off, emotional.

 

“Don’t start weeping like some princess. We still have to sit through the official reading of the will and for all we know it could have changed. I only have that because it was in her safety deposit box,” Brian informs him as he starts sorting through papers.”

 

Justin clears his throat and puts a stop to the emotions that had been bubbling up to the surface.

 

“What have you planned so far for her services?”

 

“The visitation is on Monday from 3 to 8 and the funeral is on Tuesday at 2 pm. Both are at Beinhauer Funeral Home. Then I scheduled a mixer and a show at the burlesque club and then it’s off to Babylon.”

 

Justin smiles a little at what Brian has planned, “No pot lucks? No leftover casseroles?”

 

Brian leans towards him and proclaims, “Fuck pot lucks and casseroles. Especially leftover ones. I was left in charge of arrangements and Henry thinks she would have gotten a kick out of what I have planned. I gave the obituary to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette yesterday. Even paid for a feature with a picture. She deserves that recognition. All the arrangements are listed in the obit and it’ll be in there tomorrow.”

 

Justin frowns a little, “You already wrote the obituary?”

 

Brian shrugs, “Someone had to do it.”

 

“Brian, why don’t you let me help you with something? You’re set on doing this all by yourself and I know it has to be hard for you since you were so close with-”

 

“I’m fine, Justin,” Brian bites out as he puts some papers in a folder and gets up. Poking out from underneath a stack is an envelope with Brian’s name written on it. 

 

“Did Evie leave this for you?” Justin questions as he picks up the envelope.

 

“Yeah, I haven’t read it yet. I will later,” Brian says offhandedly. 

 

“Why don’t you read it now?”

 

“I don’t want to right now. I’m busy,” Brian says. Justin knows that Brian is a bit more affected by Evie’s death than he’s letting on. Justin wants to be there for him but he doesn’t want to push him.

 

“Alright,” Justin says amicably.

 

Brian nods and goes over to sit on the bed and Justin joins him. He kneels down between his legs and palms at Brian’s crotch with lust in his eyes.

 

“Justin, I have to-“

 

“Boozing, drugging, and _fucking_ , Brian. Remember?” Justin reminds him as he unzips his pants.

 

Brian gives Justin a small smirk then lifts his hips and lets Justin pull them down. If Brian won’t let him help with everything else, then at least he will let him help with this.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The phone rings at 6 am on Saturday morning. Justin groans and looks over to Brian who has managed to sleep through the constant ringing. Justin goes down the few steps and picks up the cordless. He looks down at the caller ID and then answers.

 

“Hello, Debbie.”

 

“Sunshine, let me talk to Brian.”

 

“He’s asleep and I’m not waking him up unless it’s really important. He’s had a rough couple of days and he’s been busy. So what’s-“

 

“Go get the newspaper.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just do it.”

 

Justin tries to stay quiet as he leaves the loft and goes down the steps into the foyer. The paper landed it right outside the door so Justin picks it up and takes it back upstairs.

 

When he gets inside, he sits down on the couch, unrolls the paper, and sees the front page.

 

“You wanted to talk to me about bridge construction?” Justin asks, tired and confused.

 

“The obituary page, Justin,” Debbie corrects him, exasperated.

 

Justin opens flips through the paper and finds the first page of the obituaries, only to find a five column story on Evie and a picture of her from her burlesque days.

 

“Evie Helena Abbott passed away in her sleep on May 6th, 2008 at the age of 91 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was born in London, England on March 2, 1917 to Benedict Joseph Abbott and Victoria Sage Abbott. She did not leave behind any children. They would have gotten in the way of Evie’s successful and very debaucherous lifestyle. Evie touched a number of lives throughout her existence. And you better believe she touched a number of people. Her sexual partners go into the thousands. Men and women across the globe can account to Evie’s talent when it comes to the bedroom. Or the backroom. Or the bathroom. Or the closet.”

 

Justin stops reading for a second to stifle a laugh as Debbie shrieks, “You think this is funny?”

 

“Yeah, kind of. Just let me read the rest,” Justin tells her and continues.

 

“Evie started out as a very beautiful and talented dancer. She worked hard and loved the club she worked at in London but realized that she had never traveled. So by the age of 21, she traveled across Europe and slept in hostels to save her money. By the time she made it back to England, she decided that she didn’t want to stay there for the rest of her life so, with the help of her old boss, she procured a ticket for a ship going to New York City. By the age of 23, she was working in the top burlesque club in New York. By 25, she was such a staple in the community that she even performed at the Apollo Theater. And by 29, she was running the club she took by storm.”

 

“Evie and sucked and fucked her way through the crowds-”

 

“Can you believe he wrote the word fuck in her obituary?”

 

“Yeah, kind of. She said it a lot. The editor put in dashes, so I don’t see what the big deal is,” Justin says to her and continues Brian’s tribute.

 

“Evie sucked and fucked her way through the crowds, city, and her fellow performers but eventually she started wanting more. On June 10, 1955, she met George and Vera at an orgy on the Lower East Side. It was love at first sight for the three of them. Like Evie, George and Vera never conformed to the cookie cutter lifestyle that the fifties brought to America. They made quite the ménage à trois. In 1958, They decided to tackle Pittsburgh. Evie opened Scarlet Lace, a club that is still in full operation and is a landmark in the alternative Pittsburgh community.”

 

“Evie always had a taste for adventure. The same went for George and Vera. This didn’t stop at sex. They practiced extreme sports, they traveled the world, they did psychedelic drugs. You name it, they probably did it. Unfortunately, both George and Vera preceded Evie in death in 1988 due to, in her words, a “tragic rock climbing accident.” This affected Evie greatly but she kept her sense of humor and her passion for life. She told wonderful stories, was an incredible listener, and knew how to put a smile on someone’s face. She was kind. She was blunt. She was accepting, loving, and non-judgmental. She is survived by many friends, protégés, and her lovely dog, Abby, who kept her company in her last few years on earth. She will be missed terribly but she lived her life to the fullest and made an impact on every person she met. If that isn’t a person who lived a complete life then who is?”

 

“In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Hamilton Animal Shelter in here in Pittsburgh. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 on Monday, May 11 and a funeral service will be on Tuesday, May 12 at 2 pm. The service will be followed by a burlesque show at Scarlet Lace at 6 pm and an after party at Babylon starting at 8 pm. We are going to show Evie the respect she would have wanted and party the night away. Tickets for the show and the party can be reserved by calling the respective clubs. Proceeds will go to the Hamilton Animal Shelter.”

 

Justin is smiling pretty widely right now and he can hear Debbie sniffling. 

 

“I-I didn’t read the whole thing. I just read the first part and saw how inappropriate it was. Oh, he put so much effort into that. He must have loved her a lot.”

 

“He did. He really looked up to her. She called him out but understood him because they weren’t all that different. I’m sad that she’s gone.”

 

“She definitely was an interesting woman. I’m sorry I called so early, Sunshine. I overreacted too soon.”

 

“Yeah, you did. But I’m glad I got to read it before he woke up. Knowing him, he would have tried to hide the newspaper.”

 

“You’re probably right. I’ll talk to you later, Sunshine. You or Brian call if you need any help.”

 

“Will do. Bye.”

 

Justin hangs up and turns around to see Brian still sleeping. He walks over and puts his arms around his lover. Sometimes he gets so proud of him that he feels like his heart is going to burst.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian’s obituary generated a lot of response. The funeral home was packed for both the visitation and the funeral. The service was lovely and people from Evie’s past got up to speak, whether it be Henry, dancers, and even past one night stands from the pre-George and Vera days, which was a little humorous to be honest, since they were hobbling up to the podium and talking about some sex club. One was an old woman who said Evie made her realize that she was a lesbian and another was an older man with thick glasses. He said that Evie had been 17 years his senior and that she was his first. He had fallen quick and hard for the older woman but she kindly directed him towards the woman whom he ended up marrying. Justin looked over at Brian to see if he would speak but he didn’t. He didn’t push it. Brian did write the obituary and he knew how hard it was for him to talk about his feelings. 

 

As happy as Justin was with the turnout, he had been resenting it when it looked as though Brian was about to cry as they passed Evie’s body for the last time. He put a steadying hand on his partner’s shoulder when he heard Brian sniffle as they left the room. Justin then put his arm around his waist and asked, “You want to go to the car for a second? Get away from everyone?”

 

Brian blinked a few times and shook his head but put his arm around Justin’s shoulders. 

 

“I’m fine. I need to get to Babylon to make sure everything is going okay with the set-up before we head over to the club.”

 

Justin nods and says, “I’m coming with you.”

 

“You don’t have to. I can drop you off so you can rest a little.”

 

“I’m fine. Let’s head out.”

 

Brian gives him a small smile and brushes his forehead against his. Arms still wrapped around each other, they head to the car.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The show is fun and mesmerizing, even though Justin knows that Brian is tired of looking at tits ten minutes in. Even though Brian did something shocking and hired female dancers as well as male for the Babylon party, at least he’ll still have men to look at for that portion of the night. After the show and the mixer at Scarlet Lace finishes up, they decide to walk to Babylon where they party the night away. It’s strange seeing women there, since they tend to avoid Dyke Night. It’s even weirder to see a few straight couples heading to the back room. Brian looks an odd combination of horrified and fascinated by that. 

 

Justin ends up leading him to his office upstairs. Brian fucks him against the desk and breathes hotly into his neck while he does so. After they both come and clean up, they go back down and join Emmett, Michael, Ben, Ted, Blake, Debbie, and Carl. Carl surprised everyone by coming but he’s really loosened up these past few years. Justin has to respect a man who can get Michael to completely gross out by saying to Debbie, “Look, sweetheart! They are letting straight couples into the back room at Babylon! Want to follow suit and give it a try?”

 

As much as the thought horrifies Justin, he has to love Carl for the joke because it gets Brian to laugh for the first time in days.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Saturday, they drive to the lake in Somerset County. The drive is quiet, somber, but peaceful. Justin is driving for once. Brian went out and bought him a car unexpectedly on Thursday so that “the Corvette wouldn’t have to suffer the plague of dog hair that Abby would bring.” While Justin drives, Brian holds Evie’s urn in his lap as he looks out the window. Justin rolled down the window some for Abby and she sticks her head out of it, breathing in the country air. Brian got paranoid about her jumping out and put her leash around the emergency break. He’s still trying to put up a front most of the time when it comes to Abby but Justin can see right through it. 

 

Henry and his family meet them when they arrive and he shows them where they spread his mother’s and George’s ashes years before. Silently, they each take a handful and let the wind carry it towards the lake and let the rest of the ashes be carried away as well. Soon after, they say their goodbyes since Henry says that they’re heading straight to the airport. They wave Henry and his family off and stay for a little while longer. Abby enjoys the walk around the lake, possibly even more than the walks in Pittsburgh. Maybe they would spend a weekend at Britin soon. She would like it there. 

 

“Ready to head back?” Brian asks, as he lets Abby go over and smell some flowers off the path.

 

“Yeah, whenever you are.”

 

They go back to the car and Brian gets into the passenger seat after he lets Abby in the back. Justin turns the car around and starts the drive back to Pittsburgh. About ten minutes in, he feels Brian’s hand lightly touch his thigh. Justin reaches down and takes a hold of it. They don’t let go for a long time.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brian waits until Justin’s asleep before he opens the letter.

 

He knows it’s stupid but for some reason he’s afraid to read it. He knows Evie wouldn’t say anything hurtful. He’s just afraid of how he’ll feel. 

 

But he’s waited long enough so he carefully opens the envelope and unfolds the letter.

 

_Dear Brian,_

 

_If you are reading this, I’m probably dead. Either that or you are horribly invasive and broke into my safety deposit box. If that’s the case, you are a complete arse and I am taking you out of my will immediately._

 

_But that isn’t the likely scenario, is it? Well, my death was bound to happen. But I reached my nineties! That’s quite a feat. And I didn’t even become senile. You think I would have been fucked due to all that LSD I took in the 1960s but I guess I dodged a bullet._

 

_I hope there are some good things that come with my death. Maybe I will be reincarnated as a bird. Maybe I’ll go to Heaven. Probably Hell, but wishful thinking is always a wonderful thing. No matter where I go, I just hope I can see George and Vera in some form again. That’s what I want more than anything. To be reunited with the two people I love most in the world._

 

_And that’s what I want for you too. I want you to be with Justin. Full-time. You aren’t happy, sweetheart. I know you try to be but it’s been so hard for you. I’m leaving both of you my loft in an attempt to lure him home to you. Devious of me, isn’t it? He can use it as a studio or you can remodel it into a two story home. Hell, sell both places and live in your West Virginian mansion or get a place in New York. Maybe you can just keep them all and live wherever you feel like living that week. You are certainly rich enough, you successful bastard._

 

_One of the most important things to me is your happiness. Justin is one of the keys to your happiness. The other is your son. I know we have a lot of similarities but I was never the parenting type. I know how much you want to be a part of your son’s life. Make sure you don’t back down from that. Make sure Lindsay and Melanie hear what you have to say when it comes to your son’s life. Keep seeing your boy. Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t worthy. You are. You are such a strong and confident man yet you have such deep-seated doubts about yourself. Stop doubting. You are a wonderful and caring young man. You are a good person. You are worthy of love. Stop letting your friend’s opinions and assumptions about you hold back your happiness. Do whatever makes you happy. If that’s fucking around, then it’s fucking around. If it’s an open relationship with Justin, then that’s what you’ll do. And if it’s marriage, then you go and fucking get married. Have the beautiful wedding you planned the first time around and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. You do what feels right. Fuck what anyone else thinks. This is supposed to be what you live by. Start applying those rules to things that matter._

 

_I love you, kid. I really do. Even though I’m gone, don’t think I won’t be spying on you. I will be. Probably at really inappropriate moments too. Maybe that’s a perk in the afterlife._

 

_Until we meet again,_

 

_Evie_

 

_P.S. – Hopefully you aren’t too frightened by the sex toys in my closet. I haven’t used them in years, but they have sentimental value. Sorry in advance!_

 

Brian feels tears in his eyes but he’s laughing and shaking his head. He’ll let Sunshine deal with Evie’s closet. 

 

At the thought of Justin, he turns around and sees him asleep on the bed. Tenderness spreads through his body and he slowly makes his way over to his sleeping form. Brian lowers himself onto the bed and starts stroking his partner’s hair until he slowly awakes.

 

“Mmm, hey Brian,” Justin mumbles as he gives him a smile. Brian keeps staring at him. He can’t help it. 

 

“What is it?”

 

Brian hesitates but remembers not to keep holding himself back anymore.

 

“Nothing. You’re beautiful.”

 

Justin kisses him for that.

 

“And so are you. You wake me up just to tell me that or-“

 

“Marry me.”

 

Justin seems taken back by those words but Brian stays strong in his conviction.

 

“I want it. I wanted it before but I let people make me doubt myself which made you start to doubt me. But I want it. I wanted it when I asked you the first time and I wanted it when you went to New York. And I want it even three years later. I love you, Justin. I’ll never stop.”

 

“Brian…” Justin chokes out.

 

Brian waits for an answer and makes sure to not take his eyes off his partner.

 

“I love you too. You know that. So my answer’s yes,” Justin tells him, practically grinning like a fool.

 

And, as wide as Justin’s grin is, Brian knows that his own grin must be even wider.

**Author's Note:**

> Please read and review!


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